Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff from Chicago, was awarded the Liberty Medal by the National Constitution Center on Friday for his “lifelong work promoting religious liberty and freedom of conscience,” ideals the Center tied directly to the First Amendment and the Founding Fathers.
Speaking remotely from the Vatican during the ceremony on the eve of America’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the Pope invoked the “noble vision” of the Founders.
He urged Americans to uphold “unity, justice and peace” as the ideals that made the nation a “guiding light” and prayed that America would “remain true to the dream that has earned it the title of ‘land of the free.’”
But the speech quickly pivoted to migrants and America’s history of “opening its doors to successive waves of immigrants.”
Leo praised America’s historical willingness to welcome immigrants, arguing that the nation’s reputation as a beacon of freedom was built in part by opening its doors to newcomers.
Below is Pope Leo XIV’s full speech:
The same Pope who accepted an award rooted in American constitutional principles has repeatedly labeled President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement policies “inhuman.”
Rather than marking Independence Day with Americans, Pope Leo is scheduled to spend July 4 on the Italian island of Lampedusa, a gateway for migrants crossing the Mediterranean that has become an international symbol of the global migration crisis, The Guardian reported.
The Vatican has framed the trip as a humanitarian pilgrimage honoring migrants who died attempting to reach Europe, continuing a tradition established by Pope Francis.
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